Fortuna's Smile
by Lady-Evey-Shy
Summary: A year before the epic battle between The Guardians and The Nightmare King occurred, Lady Luck set up her shop of fortune in young Jamie Bennet's town. She knew that a battle would happen but she had no idea that it would be between the man she once loved and friends that she now cherished and she most certainly didn't expect to have to choose sides! Pitch/OC story


**Fortuna's Smile 1.1**

It was another snowy January day in the small town of Bellfront. The stores and sleepy shops were just opening and preparing for another day of commerce. One of these people, these tired entrepreneur's, was a man named Jordan Brodhurst. Mr. Brodhurst, or Jordy as he liked to be called, owned a small store that sold sports paraphernalia.

Said store lights flicked on slowly and the red door opened to reveal Jordy himself. The aging geriatric exhaled slowly as he meandered outside in a cherry red robe to retrieve his stack of newspapers. At about Six am, many people along the street were just rising, and beginning to prepare their wares for the day's sales.

Tired old eyes looked left and then right, at the colorful signs and displays. It was all well and good, he thought, except... The empty storefront across from his.

Mr. Brodhurst's good friend David Young, had passed last spring at the ripe old age of Seventy Four. He had run the only book store in town really, and was also consequently only one that Jordy could tolerate in the boring time-worn place; Well only him and young Jamie Bennett. (The boy would come in here with his friends once in a while to browse and sometimes buy his wares. The Imagination on that boy! Why, Jordy hadn't seen anything like that in years!)

Old man Jordy shivered slightly, a chill picking up around his hunched form. Blue eyes looked to the crisp morning sky suspiciously "I'm onto you Frost..." the wind grew stronger in return, almost more playful.

Tiring of the cold, Jordy walked back into his shop, giving his comrade's empty storefront one last sentimental look.

The empty store just stared right back, its paint peeling and glass streaked with dust. A quiet close and jingle signaled that Jordy had went back into his store. As soon as the cold and quiet settled into the morning, a smooth green light came to life in the old store's display. It wavered for a moment, making changes outside as well as IN before it gave a sound like a flame being blown on and vanished. IN its place was a new store, painted in shades of green, the sign on the front read, '_Fortuna's smile'. _

Not even a minute later, though it was well before seven o'clock, the green closed sign turned over, **OPEN**. It was time to do Business.

**_A Week Later_**

"C'mon Guys!" trainers slapped the sidewalk loudly. The young Bennett boy and two of his friends were racing to the sports shop in town. They had heard that a new set of cards were coming out today, and wanted to be the first to get them. So of course, when school had let out at three fifteen, the trio ran as hard as they could to the store. Said store being only ten minutes away, the out of breath team reached their destination in five.

Jaime smiled viciously when he skidded to a stop in front of old stone steps. "I win!"

Claude rolled his eyes and pushed Jamie's shoulder, hands on his knees and breathing heavily "Only cuz you cheated..." The darker boy laughed when Jaime almost fell over, him and Marcus both walking into the store and Jaimie trailing after them, trying to catch his breath.

The boys approached the counter top and peered over, looking for Mr. Brodhurst. "Ah... Boys..!" The old man appeared from behind a shelf, an old box in his hands. "Hello Mr. Brodhurst!" Jaime, Claude, and Marcus, bounded over. "We came to buy the new Baseball cards you're selling!" Said Marcus. The shopkeeper chuckled and looked at the three expectant boys, "Of course you are Boys... This way..."

Hobbling over, Mr. Brodhurst set the box down, "Come for the new cards huh…" Both Claude and Marcus were looking at the shiny packets in the glass case with wide eyes. Their eyes got even wider when wrinkled hands reached in and pulled out three packs. "Well…." He set down the cards on the tall wood countertop, "This is the first day I'm selling them so they're pretty expensive..."

The boys faces fell ,"oh.." they had been saving their allowances for a while and they had a good sum, maybe enough for one or two packs, but not three, " We don't know if we'll have enough..." Jamie said slowly. Mr. Brodhurst stared at the children hard, the cards were expensive, and as much as he wished he could give the boys all three packs for what they had but he simply couldn't-

_Green eyes peered closely at the scene, young Jaime Bennett was a good boy, important. Looking into the scrying bowl, the unseen person smiled. The three of them were just so cute she couldn't resist! "Have some luck boys..." she smirked and blew directly into the water. It was less than a whisper but it was enough._

Almost imperceptibly, a green mist swirled and faded into the old man's eyes. A mischievous smile lit up Mr. Brodhurst's face and he leaned in, "Let's see what you have..." The boys had saved their allowances for a month, and put a total of $42.76 onto the countertop in the form of, bills and clattering coins.

It wasn't enough, but it would do," Well...I do quite think that'll do it today boys..." The best reward was the dawning looks of disbelief and then joy on Jaime, Claude, and Marcus' faces.

Thanking the generous Mr. Brodhurst profusely, the body's grinned and turned to leave the store. Well, at least Claude and Marcus did, Jamie on the other hand was busy staring at the brand new storefront.

"C'mon Jamie!" Called Claude, him and Marcus already at the door. "Uh...I'll catch up…I have to talk to Mr. B for a sec!"

The two friends shrugged and left the store, looking at their cards excitedly.

When did that new store move in Mr. Brodhurst?" Jaime asked when his friends were gone. Jordy peered out of his storefront at the green store across from him. Frowning, his brow furrowed and he looked confused for a moment. Once again faint green mist played around his eyes.

"Ah you mean Young Lucy!" He said as if suddenly remembering, "She came in last week, her store sells lucky items if I'm not mistaken!" Jordy chuckled, hands at his suspender straps.

Jordy informed his young guest all about the shop owner, or at least what he knew. "—you and your friends should go and visit sometime. She loves giving advice."

Finishing the conversation, Jamie thanked Jordy again and left the store. The old man chuckling at the young boys haste to look at the baseball cards, he had been young once too.

Glancing at an old framed picture of himself and David, both much younger and in army wear, he sighed and stared out his storefront tiredly.

Lucinda frowned at the image in her bowl, she knew what it was like to be alone. As the day passed, Lucy found herself giving minor fortunes to the few people who walked in to check out her store. Though she never said anything majorly significant, she did bless each and every person with good luck for a few hours. And being Luck personified, the people would find themselves winning contests, finding money, and otherwise being very very lucky for a while.

As the day winded down, Lucy closed up her store, she had been doing it for so long that she could do it in her sleep. Flicking off the lights, she turned her sign closed and walked to the back, climbing the stairs to the second floor.

Upstairs was where she lived, a bed lay in the corner as well as a dresser, couch, and small table. There was a dividing screen set up for her to change and a wide array of magical items that she regularly used.

Once she had taken a bath and was settled for bed, Lucinda opened her window wide to peer at the full moon.

A sad expression over took her face as she gazed at the moon, wistful, longing. "….yeah Manny, I miss him too...…" Lucinda murmured as the moonlight bathed her face and body.

She had only just turned away from the window when she heard a voice that caused ripples to arch up her spine. "Just a little talk with moon before bed... Lucy?"

The smooth sensual voice slicked over her bedroom, through the open window in the form of shadows. Said window opened impossibly wider as Pitch himself appeared to step through, blocking out the light of the moon.

Lucinda gasped, heart fluttering like a humming bird, feet tripping over themselves as she backed up. "Pitch!" Her green eyes widened as she took in the nightmare king materializing in front of her window. "You're-you…you can't be...-"

Pitch smirked, amusement clear in his golden eyes, "oh hush, dear Lady Luck, I'm not here for _you_...…well not you exactly..." Lucinda eyed him warily as he stepped closer, closing the window with a flick of his fingers. Behind her back her hands trembled, fear and anger intermingled.

Pitch smirked at her, looking her up and down and enjoying the way she flinvhed when he came closer to her, "Were you always this terrified of me, _Fortuna_?" He said her name in the way he used to, a hum in his voice and a devilish smile on his lips.

He had called her by her human name, the one she had told him of, years and years ago, long before he had fallen to earth, before he was the Pitch Black.

Gaining her wits and courage, Lucinda turned and followed Pitch as he walked deeper into her home. "Wh...What do you want here pitch?"

The Spirit in question glided past shimmering globes and crystal balls and scrying bowls until he came to an item on a pedestal covered in a black shroud. It just as tall as he was if not taller, Pitch grinned viciously and taunted the woman "Come now Lucy, you're not stupid, you even kept it safe here for me!" With that said the nightmare king whipped off the shroud, a shiny metal scythe floating a few inches above its display.

Lucinda looked away, shamed, her heart revealed. Summoning the strength, she looked at him, "That is not for your eyes Pitch, and it most certainly does not belong to you-" All at once Pitch's demeanor changed, gone was the slow drawl and easy teasing. He was the Nightmare King now. Taking only three quick strides back to her, his long legs eating up the distance between them, glowing golden eyes bored into icy green ones.

"Say. That. Again. "It was silent for a moment as Pitch stared her down, daring her to make a move. Only mere inches from her face, close enough that if she tilted her head upwards she would kiss him. Neither of them moved a muscle, and Pitch's eyes narrowed into slits when she opened her mouth.

" That weapon belonged to the man I loved, you know that as well as I **_Pitch_**," she spat his name and took pleasure in the fury in his eyes, dealing another blow, "that _Kozmotis Pitchiner_ is dead."

The Nightmare king roared in fury, all semblance of teasing gone. Long grey fingers wrapped around his scythe and he swung the blade down in a curving arc that would slice Lucy to ribbons.

Lucinda's power flared, moving faster than the scythe, flooding her body and engulfing her hands. Just as the weapon reached her head, she caught the blade in a glowing green hand. Throwing it aside and blasting at him with her own power

_CLANG! _The sound was like metal on metal when their magic's clashed. Her blast would have struck him if hadn't blocked, her magic in this form looked like fire. Though green it scorched and fried anything that wasn't hers and would have left him with a nasty scar if he hadn't avoided it.

They stared into each other's eyes arms trembling and neither losing an inch, wondering who would be the first to give.

Unexpectedly it was Pitch, as he stared into his former lover's eyes something foreign tugged at his chest. The image of her covered in blood, eyes glassy was called into his mind. Losing focus for a moment he closed his eyes and looked away, trying to dislodge the unsatisfying image.

His voice was cold when he turned back, none of the false sweetness or flattery left in it. "I have what I came for, Lucy." Turning deeper into the shadows of the store, Pitch faded into darkness leaving her with one last comment.

"I'll give Seraphina your love..."

He was gone by the end of the sentence and once again moonlight flooded the room. Lucy swallowed thickly and moved mechanically until she was sitting on her bed. Ignoring MIM's attempts to talk to her she brushed a hair out of her face, hand shaking as silent sobs twisted her face in anguish.

Please review and tell me what you think. I have First Fanfic Jitters, gosh I'm so nervous! Thanks for reading guys and I hope you liked it ^^ Till next time!


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